Hinge assembly



May 17, 1956 R. L. FERGlsoN 3,251,090

HINGE ASSEMBLY Filed March 16, 1964 INVENTOR. lc/-IARD L. Freq/50N Immun v n V BY lg=g Z7 United States Patent O This invention relates to a hinge assembly wherein the pivot member has its turning axis established via a bearing member which is adjusta-ble relative to its mounting so as to occupy selected positions along va fixed line of travel in radially extending relation to the turning axis.

A hinge assembly incorporating features of this invention is especially useful in door installations since it permits the shifting of the turning axis as needed to mantain proper registry between the edges of the door and the frame of the doorway or vboundaries of the closure area in reference to which the door swings between closed and open positions.

' An important object of this invention is to provide a hinge assembly of the character indicated which may be conveniently installed and which is simple and efficient in use whereby accurate registration of the door edge and the boundaires of the doorway with which the door is operatively associated maybe readily maintained.

It is also an important object of this invention to provide a hinge assembly as indicated which incorporates novel means for effecting adjustment of the bearing member and for positively locking the bearing member against unintentional displacement from a selected adjusted position. Y

.These and other more specific objects will become more apparent and the invention itself will be best understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side View of a door mounting utilizing a hinge assembly incorporating features of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlargedV section taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a section taken along line 3 3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a section taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

A hinge assembly representing one embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the drawings as applied to a folding door installation wherein a pair of doors 10 and 11 Ahingedly connected at 12 are supported for swinging movement toward and away from a line of closure in a doorway' having an overhead track 13 bridging the vdistance between upright jambs 14 and 15 at opposite sides of said doorway. A suitable socket 16 fixed within the channel of the track 13 via a bracket 17 provides a bearing in which a pivot pin 18 projecting upwardly from the top of door 10 is receivable for relative turning movement. Mounting means designated generally as 19 is defined by an assembly forming the subject matter of this invention as more particularly detailed hereinafter, when operatively engaged with a pivot pin 20 projecting downwardly from the bottom of door 10 in combination with the mounting of .the pivot piu 18 at the top of the door 10, establish the position of the doo-r relative to the jamb 14 along the edge of said door facing said jamb as well as the axis on which the door 10 is swingable toward and away from a position in which the doors 10 and 11 conjointly extend along a line of closure determined by the overhead track 13. The track 13 is also engaged by a guide roller 21 secured to and projecting upwardly from the outer upper corner of the door 11 whereby the door 11 is pivotally anchored to the track 13 about an axis parallel to the turning axis of the door 10 as established by the pivot pins 18 and 20.

ICC

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, mounting means with which the pivot pin 20 cooperates to establish the turning axis of said pin 20 includes a support member defined by a bracket having an upright end wall 22 adapted to be placed against the doorway jamb 14 and be secured to the latter by screws 23. Integral with wall 22 and projecting forwardly from the lower end thereof is an arm 24. Openings formed at suitable distance apart along said arm 24 receive screws 25 with which the bracket is fixed to an underlying support such as the floor 26 at the bottom of the doorway. Side walls 27 rising upwardly from opposite edges of the arm present oppositely facing internal surfacesV with which a slide 28 of suitable material, such as nylon, has slidable engagement so as to guide said slide 28 along a fixed path of movement rela- -tive to saidbracket toward and away from the jamb 14 to which the bracket is fixed. The slide 28 has an inwardly offset upper portion defining shoulders 29 which have upward abutment with lips 30 extending inwardly from the upper limits of the side walls 27 so as to preventdisplacement of said slide from a position of operative engagement with said side Walls 27 except by movement of the slide lengthwise of said walls 27 in a direction away from the end wall 22 of the bracket and beyond the confines of the Iside walls 27. The slide 28 has downward bearing engagement with the underlying surface of arm 24 between the walls 27 of the bracket except for a wing portion 31 defined by a rearward extension of the slide 28 in upwardly spaced relation to the surface of the a-rm 24 opposite thereto. The area between the wing portion 31 and said arm 24 is occupied by a shaft 32 28. The portion of the shaft 32 within the bearing openings 33 as well as the portion of the shaft 32 "between the walls 27l of the bracket is provided with teeth 34 arranged in uniformly spaced apart relation circumferentially of a cylinder with which the axis of the shaft 32 is concentric. The axial continuity of the teeth 34 on the shaft 32 is interrupted by a section of the shaft located centrally of the walls 27 which defines an annular groove 35. The wing portion 31 has driving engagement with the shaft 32 via teeth 37 provided on said wing portion in intermeshing relation with the teeth 34 on shaft 32. Rotation of shaft 32 is accordingly operative to move the slide 28 to selected positions of adjustment along the path defined by walls 27 of the bracket. The area of the surface of the wing portion 31 in radially aligned relation to the groove 35 on shaft 32 is offset toward the shaft 32 in relation to the teeth 37 to define a rib 38 which engages the groove 35 to prevent relative axial displacement of the shaft 32. Thus while the bearing openings 33 freely accept theshaft 32 when the latter is moved axially therethrough incident to installation in an operative relation to the walls 27 of the bracket, the slide when thereafter installed between the walls 27 is effective to establish and hold the shaft 32 against axial displacement from an operative position in relation to the bracket as well as the slide 28.

A slot 39 provided in one of the side walls 27 with its longest dimension lengthwise of the path of the slide 28 and a similar slot 40 inthe other wall 27 in alignment with said slot 39 have communication with a recess 41 formed in the surface of the slide 28 which faces the arm 24 of the bracket. A nut 42 is contained in said recess 41 with the spiral axis ofthe threads of the nut 42 lengthwise of the distance between said walls 27 and said nut and said notch have such interfitting engagement as to prevent rotation of the nut 42 relative to the slide 28 about spiral axis of the nut. The nut 42 and a screw 43 extending axially through the slot 39 in one side wall 27 of the bracket have threaded interengagement effective to establish clamping engagement along surfaces of the wall 27 along the edges of said slot-39 and the surfaces of the arrow screw 43 and the nut 42 facing said boundaries of the slot 39 to prevent movement of said slide 28 from a selected position of adjustment upon tightening of said screw 43. The nut 42 and a similar screw 44 extending axially through the slot 40 in the other side wall 27 of the bracket likewise cooperate to prevent movement ofthe slide 28 from a selected position of adjustment by tightening of screw 44. The opposite ends of the shaft 32 are provided with slotted end faces 45 with which a suitable tool, such as a screwdriver blade may have engagement to facilitate rotation of the shaft 32 'from either of two reversed positions of the bracket along the doorway line of closure. Thus operation of the shaft 32 to establish a selected position of adjustment of the slide 28 is available from either end of the shaft 32 and operation of the screws 43 and 44 to effectively lock the slide 32 in such selected position of adjustment is likewise obtainable from a position opposite either side wall 27 of the bracket.

It will be noted from FIG. 3 that pivot pin 20 has operative engagement with the slide 28 by means of a recess 28a in which the pin 2) has turning movement. The recess 28a is of elongated dimension lengthwise of the line of travel of the slide 28 so as to allow the pin 2S to have clearance for relative movement fore and aft of said recess in the slide 28 in accordance with needed freedom of movement of'said pin Z0 while the doors 10 and 11 are moved toward and away from the fixed stop surface S with which the leading edge of the door 11 has close fitting engagement when the doors 10 and 11 are in fully extended closing relation as shown in FIG. l. The confronting edge of a door forming part of a door unit 46 pivotally supported via mounting means 47 and 48 along the jamb 15 is illustrated in FIG. 1 as defining the stop surface S. It will, of course, be understood that the pivot pin 18 at the top of door 10 and the socket 16 likewise cooperate to accommodate relative movement of the pin 18 in accordance with corresponding movement of pivot pin 20 relative to the slide 28.

What is claimed is:

1. A hinge assembly having a pivot pin and mounting means with which said pivot pin cooperates to establish the turning axis of said pin, said mounting means including a support member, a slide carried by said support member and movable to selected positions of adjustment relative to said support member along a fixed path, a shaft rotatably carried by said support member for rotation about a fixed axis in intersecting relation to said path of adjustment of said slide, said shaft having a portion thereof provided with teeth arranged in uniformly spaced apart relation circumferentially of a cylinder with which the axis of said shaft is concentric, means having intermeshing relation with said teeth on said shaft operative to move said slide to selected positions of adjustment responsive to rotation of said shaft, a recess in said slide extending along a line parallel to the axis of said shaft and terminating at opposite sides of said slide, an opening in said support communicating with said recess, a screw operating through said opening, a nut with which said screw has threaded engagement, said nut being positioned in said recess and having such engage-l Cil ment therewith as to fix said nut against rotation about the axis of said screw and thereby effective upon tightening of said screws to establish a clamped relation between said screw and said nut and surfaces of said support about said opening containing said screw whereby said slide is locked against-displacement from a selected position of adjustment, and a cavity in said slide in which said pin is receivable for relative turning movement about an axis in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said shaft.

2. A hinge assembly according to claim 1, wherein said slide includes an extension having teeth which define said means having intermeshing relation with said teeth on said shaft operative to move said slide to selected positions of adjustment responsive to rotation of said shaft.

3. A hinge assembly according to claim 1, wherein said slide and said shaft have interengaging means effective to lock said shaft against axis displacement from a selected position relative to said support.

4. A hinge assembly according to claim 1, wherein said slide is of synthetic resinous composition.

5. A hinge assembly according to claim 1, wherein said support includes an arm and a pair of side walls rising upwardly from opposite sides of said arm cooperate with said slide to define said fixed path of adjustment of said slide relative to said support, said walls each having a shaft receiving opening which define said axis of rotation of said shaft and said slide has an extension having teeth which define means having intermeshing relation with said teeth on the shaft operative to move said slide to selected position of adjustment responsive to rotation of said shaft.

6. A hinge assembly according to claim 1, wherein said shaft is provided with an axially outwardly facing slotted head at opposite ends thereof.

7. A hinge assembly according to claim 1, wherein said support includes an armand a pair of side walls rising yupwardly from opposite sides of said arm cooperate with said slide to define said fixed path of adjustment of said slide relative to said support, an opening in one of said walls defines the opening through which said screw operates to have said threaded engagement with said nut, and an opening in the other of said walls defines an opening through which a second screw operates to have threaded engagement with said nut to establish a clamped relation between said second screw and said nut and surfaces of said latter Wall of the support about said opening containing said second screw to lock said slide in a fixed adjusted position relative to said support.

8. A hinge assembly according to claim 7, wherein said shaft has its axis of rotation established via shaft receiving openings in each of said side walls and said shaft is provided with an axially outwardly facing slotted head at opposite ends thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1961 Hollansworth 16-151 7/1963 Deckinson et al. 16--151 X 

1. A HINGE ASSEMBLY HAVING A PIVOT PIN AND MOUNTING MEANS WITH WHICH SAID PIVOT PIN COOPERATES TO ESTABLISH THE TURNING AXIS OF SAID PIN, SAID MOUNTING MEANS INCLUDING A SUPPORT MEMBER, A SLIDE CARRIED BY SAID SUPPORT MEMBER AND MOVABLE TO SELECTED POSITIONS OF ADJUSTMENT RELATIVE TO SAID SUPPORT MEMBER ALONG A FIXED PATH, A SHAFT ROTATABLY CARRIED BY SAID SUPPORT MEMBER FOR ROTATION ABOUT A FIXED AXIS IN INTERSECTING RELATION TO SAID PATH OF ADJUSTMENT OF SAID SLIDE, SAID SHAFT HAVING A PORTION THEREOF PROVIDED WITH TEETH ARRANGED IN UNIFORMLY SPACED APART RELATION CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF A CYLINDER WITH WHICH THE AXIS OF SAID SHAFT IS CONCENTRIC, MEANS HAVING INTERMESHING RELATION WITH SAID TEETH ON SAID SHAFT OPERATIVE TO MOVE SAID SLIDE TO SELECTED POSITIONS OF ADJUSTMENT RESPONSIVE TO ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT, A RECESS IN SAID SLIDE EXTENDING ALONG A LINE PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID SHAFT AND TERMINATING AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SLIDE, 